Rebased !

Originally posted on the 21/10/12

Not got much done on the modelling and painting scene of late - real life has been interfering with things , however I  have got my 40mm SYW  French Regiment Du Roi rebased .

Looks a lot better ! more compact and business like .

I have had to photograph them in the bathroom as my table is set up for a FOW  desert game and it is not the easiest place to get a lot of figures into shot.

Pleased with the results ! , now I have to tackle my British Regiment .

I have managed to cast up another gun limber and team and some Hussars for the Allies and hope to start getting them painted this week .

Rebasing

Originally posted on the 14/10/12

When I  sat down to look at the photo I took a couple of weeks ago I thought something did not look right.

After some thought it struck me that the figures were to spaced out !, they are mounted on 30mm X 30mm bases which I happened to have lying about (think I use them for my 54mm FLW  figures) and when they are fielded in individual companies of 12 rank and file it is not as noticeable , however on mass they seem a bit spread out (incidentally when I  mentioned this to 'A' he had seen the photo and come to the same conclusion) . Having played a couple of games this problem became more evident as well , so I  have decided to rebase them . I have decided on 20mm X 30mm, these have been ordered from Warbases and being delivered very quickly I have started the task of rebasing . The figures are easily removed from the existing bases with a sharp knife and have been glued onto new ones and await painting and a coat of varnish , I will publish photos when this is done .

Literary Battles.

I've been battling for about 30 odd years to read this book , I first came across it being mentioned in Chandler's 'Warfare in the Age of Marlborough' and got a copy - but failed miserably . Over the next decade or so I tried several times but failed , It's a hard book to read being written in the mid 18th century so the language is archaic and he does ramble so ! (which is part of the charm of the book but b****y annoying !) . I resorted to taking it as my only book on a camping holiday ( I managed to read Tolkien's 'Silmarrillion' this way )  , but could not manage it and resorted to borrowing another book from a friend . The draw of the book is of course Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim's recreation of a siege in the back garden - the first wargame ? (of a sort) . I have now got a free copy of the book for my Kindle and am proud to say I'm 30% of the way through it (so my device tells me) which is the farthest I've every managed and I do believe I'm going to finish it ! - hopefully I will report my triumph in the near future (fingers crossed)

French 'Flying Artillery'.

First posted on 07/10/12

Tired of having to manhandle their artillery piece about, the French have just received a method of propulsion - I've cast up a limber and horse team for them .

Swiftly the gun is brought into position and deployed !.

Ready to fire !. I am going to try playing a game using the 'Charge' rules by Brig. Peter Young so I have been reading them and have tracked down a rules summary/playsheet on the internet . Though similar to Grant's 'The Wargame' rules I think they will play quicker as they use larger movement distances and are generaly simpler.

A Potential Grenadier.

First posted on 23/09/12

Been thinking about a suitable figure for the Grenadier company for Scheithers Frei Korps

Amongst my collection of molds I have the above figure , purchased as a job lot, it was not one I would necessarily have bought myself as it depicts a Swedish grenadier (I think). As I wanted to do something different for the Frei Korps I wondered if I could convert him , my info on Scheither's comes from Osprey's Frederick the Greats Allies and this has a illustration of the grenadier but not a very good view of his cap (a sure sign the artist is not confident in depicting it) , the text mentions that they may be captured French grenadier caps - so I'm going with this . I have filed the cap down a bit scored the front to look like fur and added a bag from 'green stuff' , I know the grenade throwing stance is anachronistic for this later period but now I've got him cast up I find it cute and different and its my SYWish army so I'm going with him !

Colonel Scheither.

First posted 19/09/12

Having been busy casting and painting up elements of Scheither's Frei Korp I thought it time to provide them with a commander.

So here we have Col. Scheither seen here urging his Carbineers on, I'm not sure who the manufacturer is as it is a casting from a metal mold I got cheap off EBay ( German I think ?). But he looks suitably dashing . The Frei Korps also had a Grenadier company, these had a sort of fur mitre cap which I am at the moment trying to reproduce . I am also bringing my line infantry regiments up to strength by adding a extra company to them .

Comte Du Fru-Fru's Coach the final touches

Voltaire bids farewell to the Comte as he sets of to rejoin his command in his new coach . ( Voltaire is secretly miffed because he has not been invited to have a ride in it ) . The model coach comes with a seated passenger figure which I have converted into a Comte lookalike .

As a further embellishment I have added a couple of Footmen to the rear of the coach , these are a couple of gunner figures that seemed suitable .

Another view of the Footmen which are from a Prince August mold , they are wearing the Comte's livery colours .

And so the Comte Du Fru-Fru sets off for further adventures resplendent in his fine new coach .